Cai-shen

The Chinese god of prosperity, both of religious Taoism and in the syncretist folk religion. He has various magical powers, such as warding off thunder and lightning, and ensuring profit from commercial transactions.

As a historical figure he is identified as Zhao Xuan-tan (Chao Hsüan-t'an), "General Zhao of the Dark Terrace", from the Qin Dynasty. He attained enlightenment on top of a mountain. He also assisted Zhang Dao-ling on his search for the life-prolonging elixir.

Cai-shen is usually portrayed riding on a black tiger. He has a black face and a thick moustache. On his head he wears a cap made of iron and he holds a weapon, also made of iron.

The name of Cai-shen in traditional Chinese format.

Ba Xian

The "eight immortals" from Taoist mythology, and among the best known deities. They are the symbols for good fortune throughout China. They represent eight different conditions of life: youth, old age, poverty, wealth, the populace, nobility, the masculine, and the feminine. The earliest descriptions date from the Tang Dynasty (early 7th century), but their present grouping was not established until the Ming Dynasty (founded in 1368).

The immortals are: Zhang Guo-lao, Lu Dong-bin, Cao Guo-jiu, Zhong Li-quan, Li Tie-guai, Han Xian-zi, He Xian-gu, and Lan Cai-he.

The Ba Xian are a favorite theme of artists and are portrayed on fans and porcelain. They also figure prominently in many literary works.

The first four of them are historical figures.


The name of the Ba-Xian in traditional Chinese format.

Aesop's fables

Some simple yet brilliant fables told by Aesop to illustrate his point regarding morals.

Aesop’s fables have been a guideline for fables for ages. These short parables about the trouble of animals, gods and various people teach us practical lessons for our lives.

The Eagle and the Scarab Beatle

An eagle was chasing after a hare for her dinner. The poor little hare did not know what to do so when he came across a scarab beetle, the only other animal he saw, he begged him for help. The Scarab beetle stood between the hare and the eagle and asked for the eagle to spare this hare’s life. The eagle brushed off beetle, in her opinion the beetle had nothing important to say because he was so small and ate the hare right in front of the scarab beetle.

From that point on the Scarab beetle hunted out the eagle’s nests, climbed into them and pushed her eggs out to the ground so that they would break. The eagle went to Zeus for help, Zeus allowed the eagle to make a nest on his lap so that he could protect the eggs himself. The wily scarab beetle made a gross dung pellet, flew over Zeus’ head and dropped it on him. With out thinking Zeus stood up to brush the pellet off and let the nest fall to the ground, breaking all of the eggs. Since that day the eagle does not nest during the scarab beetle season.

If you insult someone do not be surprised when they seek revenge against you.

Two Roosters and an Eagle

There were once two roosters that fought over a hen. The one that won the fight left with the hen, while the one that lost hid in the bushes. The rooster that won jumped on top of a wall and crowed with pride. Just then an eagle swooped down and snatched up the proud little rooster but the one who had hid in the bushes was safe from the eagle.

The humble are rewarded but the proud are punished.

The Fox and the Swollen Belly

There was once a very hungry fox how discovered some bread and meat hidden inside the hallow of a tree. The fox crawled in and gobbled it right up, however when he went to leave he found he couldn’t fit through the hole he had come in from his belly was too big. He began to cry out at the hopelessness of his situation until another fox came by. The second fox told him to calm down and wait, soon his belly would go back to it’s normal size and he would be able to get out.

Time fixes difficulties.

There are many more fables as told by Aesop. They all have one great thing in common; they have simple morals that are timeless.

Why Koala has no tail

The koala is a beloved and well recognized animal. When the koala thinks only of himself he ends up paying a price for it.

The Koala is perhaps the most recognized native of Australia. This beloved little marsupial bear is found throughout the country. There are many folktales that surround this cuddly creature however, one of the more interesting stories is how the koala lost it’s tail which was described as being bushy and long.

There was a drought that had hit the area the ground was so dry that it cracked, the leaves on the trees dried and fell from the trees and none of the animals could find any water. Koala went to his friend the tree kangaroo for consultation.

Tree kangaroo leaned back on his tail and recounted a story from when he was but a joey. There had been a devastating drought much like the one they were now experiencing. His mother was so dehydrated that she could not feed him milk. She told her worries to his father and his father said that there was nothing that could be done, the joey would die but that was the way things went. His mother, not happy with what her husband said, left to find water. Being a tree kangaroo her travel was not like her cousins that lived in the plains. Her body was meant for the trees, long strides on land were difficult for her but she traveled by land with her joey in her pouch. She struggled over rocks and through bushes; she was bruised, cut up from rocks and exhausted. Finally when all hope was lost she came across a dried up river bed with cramped paws she dug into the dry dirt until a small pool of water formed in the bottom. She then allowed the joey to drink and they were both saved.

Koala exclaimed “We must go there! You must take me to that riverbed so that we may drink!”

Tree kangaroo considered the option for a moment and agreed to go to the riverbed with koala. The two friends made the long and exhausting journey together. When they finally made it there tree kangaroo asked who wanted to take the first shift in digging. Koala suggested that tree kangaroo did it while he rested this way tree kangaroo could rest while he dug.

Tree kangaroo continued to dig and when he had grown tired he looked to koala for help, however, koala was so pitiful curled up in a ball with his tail covering his head. Looking at his friend tree kangaroo decided he didn’t have the heart to wake him up so he continued to dig further. As time went on he continued to look to koala for assistance but he was either sleeping or had some excuse as to why he couldn’t help. Eventually koala said that he was going into the bush to find some food for them but koala tricked his friend, he didn’t go into the bush. He hid and watched as his friend dug for water.

Finally tree kangaroo discovered water but before he could do anything koala shoved him out of the way and started to drink up all of the water for himself. Tree kangaroo was furious, he had done all of the work but koala was drinking it all for himself. While koala was drinking the water all that could be seen sticking out of the hole was his beautiful bushy tail. In tree kangaroo’s anger her reached down and bit off koala’s tail at its base. Koala lost his tail for being selfish and has since had to learn how to live in the trees with out it.

Who should he kill?

A folktale about a boy who has to make a choice about who his father is. Do genetics trump kindness?

There was once a man who had the profession of digging out ground squirrels. One day the man brought his son with him to work so that he could learn his father’s trade and eventually follow in his footsteps. The father told his son the guard the hole while he dug, this would cause the squirrel to come out where the son was and then he could catch it. Just as the father said, the squirrel came up out of the hole but the son didn’t catch him, he let the squirrel go. In the father’s anger he hit his son over the head with the shovel, knocking him out.

Later that evening the son of the squirrel digger awoke as an Arab strolled through the area. The Arab took pity on the boy, for he had no children of his own and brought him to his home. The Arab bathed him, dressed him in fine linens and nursed him back to health.

It was common place in this region that the sons of the rich merchants would race their horses at the local track. The Arab brought out a beautiful horse and gave it to the boy and told him to do whatever he saw the other boys at the track do with their horses. The sons of the rich merchants were very upset at this new comer who was apparently better than them at racing and had no obvious pedigree. The rich merchants told their sons to test the boy for they knew that he had been adopted by the Arab. They told their sons to give away their horse and see what this boy did. The next day the sons of the rich merchants gave away their horses and just as the Arab had told him, the boy did what his peers did.

The next day the sons of the rich merchants were told to kill their expensive new horses before they come home. The boy again copied the sons of the rich merchants and killed his new horse as well. After this they accepted the boy as the Arab’s son and he was allowed into their group.

A few days later during a Muslim festival, as part of the festivities all of the youth rode their beautifully decorated horses in a parade through the streets of town. Of course, the Arab’s adopted son was among them. While riding in the parade the biological father of the boy saw his son in the procession amongst all of the other rich boys and ran out to him.

“Get down from there!” Yelled the squirrel digger “You do not belong there, while you were being idle one of your brothers has been prosperous in killing squirrels!”

Seeing the scene before him the Arab rushed in and asked if this could be taken somewhere less public. He gave the man back his son, two horses, a cloak and a bag of gold coins but he asked that the man and his son ride with him out in the bush that evening.

That evening they arrived out at the bush and immediately the Arab gave a sword to the boy and said “Strike down either me or you biological father!”

Who should he kill? The Arab who gave him everything that he wanted and treated him with kindness or the man who initially gave him life but treated him with cruelty?

Queering the Vampire: Part One

Vampires have been a mainstay of horror folklore and literature since the 19th Century, but their homoerotic subtexts give the legends a wholly different dimension.

There has long been a fascination with the stories and folklore of the vampire. Throughout the age of art and literature and film, these creatures have been a source of fantasy, horror, and revulsion. By the same token, however, there have also been a number of tales of the vampire that have delved into their sexual nature. Perhaps one particular aspect of that sexuality that is the source of some debate is the great deal of homoeroticism inherent in many vampire stories and films. Other literary genres seem to delve into the subject less than vampire stories do, so it might appear that homoeroticism is central to vampirism. Is the state of being a vampire given to an equal state of homoerotic norms, or are vampires simply doing what they must in order to survive, regardless of their victims’ sex?

What Goes There?

The study of the debate might best begin by posing the question: What is a vampire? Vampires are a race of the undead. They are creatures (or individuals, perhaps) who do almost all of the things that living, flesh-and-blood people do, except for the fact that vampires are not alive in that respect. The vampire is an immortal, and throughout that immortality, it is driven by a deep compulsion to drink human blood. Feeding that hunger for blood is the only way the vampire may survive. However, perhaps there is also the possibility that the vampire longs for a mortal, human, emotional love or tangible connection that it cannot possess in its immortal state. Further, perhaps there is a desperate hunger within the vampire to be mortal again, so that it can rejoin and revel in a society that its vampirism has removed it from.

A Breed Apart

However, as vampires are not a part of this world’s society-at-large, are they necessarily obligated to follow its social norms and mores? Vampires are the undead, they do not live in any realm except their own, so perhaps they do not have to follow the rules mortal society has established. Essentially, the things that vampires do go against many conceivable norms and mores anyway: murder, sucking blood, sleeping in coffins, living primarily in the shadows of the night, and other aspects of the natural ways. And in many societies, particularly Western society, homosexuality is considered a blatant taboo and an affront against natural laws. So, might it be said that because vampires are already of their own world and not ours, it is perfectly “normal” for them to be indiscriminate as to the sex of their victims/conquests?

For instance, in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and in Francis Ford Coppola’s film Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dracula is enraged when he discovers the three vampire wenches seducing and feeding off of Jonathan Harker. He hurls them away, declaring that Harker belongs to him and no one else. Though the reader or viewer might feel that Dracula looks upon Harker as his own because of his needing Harker’s assistance in getting to Mina, there also seems to be a considerable amount of underlying homoerotic jealousy in that scene. It really seems that Dracula only turns women into vampires out of his need to survive, turning his true carnal attentions and bloodlust to men. One way he does this in the story is when he drinks the men’s blood through Lucy, where it was mixed with hers when she was given the blood transfusions. In that case, he became more lustful for the men’s blood.

The Ox and the Donkey

A merchant's animals transpire to get out of work but one animal ends up paying the price for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.

In the tale of Arabian Nights the Vizier told his daughter Shahrazad a tale of an ox and a donkey who couldn’t seem to keep his nose out of someone else’s business.

There was once a merchant who had been blessed with the gift of knowing the language of the animals. He was sworn to secrecy of this gift and in honoring his promise he was blessed with much wealth.

One evening while sitting outside enjoying the evening, he overheard a conversation between his ox and donkey. The ox had just come in from working a very long hard day in the fields, he was exhausted, his bed was dirty and he was fed slop to eat. The donkey not having to work was relaxing on a fresh bed of hay eating crisp carrots. The donkey looked over at the Ox and asked him why he was so troubled. The Ox began to complain that the donkey had it easy; he got to lounge around and sleep all day while he, the ox, had to go out into the fields and plow all day long, subject to a whip and when he gets to his bed he is not given any of the same luxuries as the donkey.

The donkey, who thought of himself as being very wise, mulled over the problem in his head for a few moments and then told him to act sick so that the plowman would not be able to use him in the fields and when it is time to eat to not touch the food until they took such pity on the ox that they hand fed it to him. The ox thought this was good advice and he decided he would follow through with it the next day.

The next morning when the plowman brought the ox to the field he just fell. The ox continued to do this until nightfall. The plowman brought the ox back to the stable and took pity on him thinking that he was sick. The plowman then went to the merchant and told him what had transpired. The merchant, knowing what the donkey and the ox had discussed, told the plowman to use the donkey to plow the fields should he have trouble with the ox again.

The next day the plowman tried to use the ox again but he would not work. So he returned him to the stable early and then took donkey out to the field and forced the donkey to do the ox’s work. That night the merchant listened to the conversation between the two animals. The ox was quite grateful to the donkey for taking his place out in the fields. The poor donkey had been badly beaten out in the field and was exhausted by the time he was finally able to rest. He was so angry with the ox’s happiness at not having to work that he would not answer him. The donkey went to his trough and said to himself “All this happened to me because of my miscalculation. I would be sitting pretty, but for my curiosity. If I don’t find a way to return this ox to his former situation I will perish.” He fell asleep as the ox continued to chew his cud and bless him for taking his place.

Outwitting fate How a Brahman tricked a god

A Hindu holy man outwits a god and changes the fate for the children of his mentor.

There was once a young Brahman who while on a spiritual quest came to an old sage who was well versed in the ways of Brahma, the creator in Hindu Mythology. According to myth Brahma arrives at every person’s birth and stamps their fate on their head.

While the sage’s wife was pregnant he went on a quest and left her in the care of the Brahman. Standing guard at the opening of the home a man attempted to walk into the room where the wife was giving birth. The Brahman stopped him and would not permit him to enter into the home. The man was Brahma who was shocked that the Brahman saw him for he was supposed to be invisible during the birth of a child. The Brahman allowed Brahma to continue what he was doing, however, when Brahma attempted to leave the Brahman stopped him and asked what the fate was for the child of his beloved sage. Brahma told him under a vow of secrecy that the son of the sage would live for the rest of his life on one cow and a bag of rice. The Brahman was deeply troubled by this but he continued to suffer in silence. A few years later it was the same situation, Brahma appeared again and again was asked the fate of the baby girl that was just born. Sadly Brahma told him that the sage’s daughter would live her life as a prostitute. The Brahman was devastated his sadness forced him to leave the home of the sage to go on a long journey. When he returned many years later the children had grown and the sage was dead.

First he went to the home of the sage’s son who lived in a run down shack with his wife and children. Everyday he would go to market and sell the milk his cow made which gave him just enough money to buy a bag of rice to feed his family. The Brahman thought about the situation and then presented a solution. He told the sage’s son to take his cow and bag of rice to market and sell them, with that money he was to buy a good meal for his family and give the remainder to Brahma. The son did as he was told and the next morning another cow and bag of rice had appeared behind his house. The Brahman told him to do this everyday to take care of his family the moment he kept any extra for himself it would not work anymore.

The Brahman then went to the sage’s daughter who was living as a prostitute. After some thought the Brahman’s solution was that she lock her door and not let any man in unless he had a full string of salt water pearls (which were extremely hard to find), she was then told to take the pearls to market the next morning and sell them only taking what was needed and give the rest to Brahma. She did as she was told and Brahma himself was the only one who came. From that point on she was to do this everyday and she would become the prestigious lover of a god.

Satisfied with what he had done the Brahman went away. Leaving the town he came across a very tired man leading a cow with one hand, a string of pearls in the other hand and a sack of rice on his head. The Brahman had to do a double take for he realized that it was Brahma. He asked him why he was so tired and he said that every night he had to deliver the cow and a bag of rice to one home and the pearls to another. The Brahman smiled, he then said if the sage’s children were released from their fate he wouldn’t have to do this anymore. Brahma did just that and they lived happily ever after.

Three Apples A Tale from Arabian Nights

A man acts on his suspisions too hastily causing him to do things for which there is no turning back.

In the story of the Three Apples Shahrazad relates to the King what can happen when someone acts too quickly before they get all of the facts. As it is told a very powerful Caliph was walking along the banks of the Tigris River with his trusted Ja’far when they came across a basket. The basket was made of strong banana leaves sown together with red thread. The Caliph opened the box and found what was once a lovely young girl dismembered.

The Caliph was enraged by what he had found. He turned to his Ja’far and demanded that the murderer be found. He went out to the town square with some of his guards and made a plea for the killer to come forward. Much to his surprise a young man came forward and said that he had killed the girl.

When before the Caliph the young man told the tale of how he murdered the young girl. The girl had been his wife and a very good one at that, she even bore him three sons. One day she asked her husband for three apples and told him that if she didn’t have a taste of an apple she would certainly fall ill. The husband searched all over but found none. While he was searching for the apple his wife indeed became very ill. The young man despaired at the thought that his wife might die but as luck would have it, his gardener just happened to have three apples that he sold to the young man. The young man gave the apples to his ailing wife who looked at them briefly before passing out. The young man then went to work for the day in his shop.

A very ugly slave came by the shop with one of the apples that the young man had bought for his wife. He asked the slave where he got the apple to which the slave replied “My mistress gave it to me. Her pimp of a husband brought it to her.” The husband was so furious that he immediately went home and saw that there was an apple missing, when he asked his wife where the apple was she didn’t know. He decided right then that the slave had told the truth. He killed her, put her in the box that he had made and then dropped her in the river. When he came home he found his three sons crying. One of his sons spoke up and said that he stole the apple and took it to the market. A very ugly slave stole it from him. He tried to get it back and the slave why he needed it so badly but the slave hit him. In that moment he knew that the slave had lied and he killed his wife for no reason.

The Caliph was greatly moved by this and decided that the real villain was the slave. When pondering the situation at home his little daughter hugged him. In his daughter’s pocket he felt what turned out to be an apple. He asked her where she had gotten it from and she replied that she bought it from their very ugly slave. When the slave was questioned he admitted stealing it from the boy and then lying to the young man.

Three Apples

Apples

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of OZ is a beloved piece of literature that was turned into a popular movie. Here we look at some of the characters that are prominant in the book.

Originally published in 1900 The Wizard of Oz has become a standard of American pop culture and an excellent example of modern folklore. However, most of us are introduced to this work through the classic film. Though the movie is very good and for the most part stays true to the book there are some extra details in the book that can not be found in the movie. Any movie trivia buff knows that the actual shoes that made the wicked witch of the west want to track down Dorothy were silver not ruby the reason being silver wouldn’t show up as well in the new filming technology known as Technicolor. However what about the field mice, the winged monkeys and of the actual role of Glinda?

While on their journey the group of travelers encounter a mouse that is going to be eaten by a cat. They save the mouse and find that she is the Queen of the field mice. In return for them saving her, she pledges to help Dorothy and her friends whenever they should need it. This comes in handy when they are crossing a dangerous poppy field, where a traveler can fall asleep and never wake up again. It is the field mice that help the travelers out of their jam. The Tin Woodsman with the help of the Scarecrow are able to carry Dorothy and Toto to safety but are unable to help the Cowardly Lion because he is too heavy. Remembering the promise from the Queen of the field mice they call to her for help. The field mice then help by rolling the Cowardly Lion out of the field to safety.

The group of travelers finally meet the Wizard of Oz but before he can grant them their requests they must kill the Wicked Witch of the West. The travelers quickly set about on this journey, traveling through dark woods and over rough mountains until the Witch spies them in her territory. She sends her winged monkeys to meet them that she controls through the use of a golden cap which binds the monkeys to the servitude of whomever wears it for three wishes. After killing the witch Dorothy takes with her the cap and the broom. Through the help of the winged monkeys the travelers are not only able to make it back to the emerald city very fast but are also helped out of tight jams such as making it past some armless Quadlings who will not allow the group to cross the boarder into their land.

A familiar character in much of the Oz folklore is Glinda the good witch who is actually from the south not the north. In the book she doesn’t play a major role in the story until the end. The Wizard is found to be a fraud and leaves, failing to get Dorothy home though he has seemingly granted the requests of the other travelers. The last hope for Dorothy to get home is to see the good witch Glinda in the south which is the land of the Quadlings. Here Glinda grants Dorothy’s wish by telling her how to use the shoes. She also uses the cap to get Dorothy’s three friends back to where they want to be and then gives the cap back to the King of the flying monkeys freeing them from its curse. In the end, like the movie, Dorothy makes it home to her family but says “I’m so glad to be home again!”

Davy Jones The Folklore of the Devil that Ruled the Sea

There is much about Jones that we don't know. Here we explore what we do know about him and look at what makes him so frightful.

The myth of Davy Jones has gained in popularity over recent years. His story has various different origins which give way for a complex folktale. Who is he? Where does his story come from and why are sailors so scared of him?

There are two different Christian characters that Davy Jones is theorized to have come from, the first being the Patron Saint of Wales St. David, Welsh sailors were known to make reference to him. Secondly Jonah of the bible who was swallowed whole by a whale. Another story about who Davy Jones was comes from Wales as well, here the story says that Davy Jones was a bartender in a pub. He would pull out drugged rum from a locker and give it to unsuspecting sailors who would then pass out and wake up on a pirate ship. This rather common practice with pubs is referred to as being shanghaied. This version of Davy Jones’ story has conflicting origins, some say he was a pub owner in London and others say in Wales. It is also said that Davy is a compromise of the word “duppy” which is a West Indian term for a malevolent spirit that would cause harm. Jones was also rumored to be a fierce pirate that enjoyed making people walk the plank.

Davy Jones’ locker is believed to be a reference to hell or the bottom of the sea. Men who died at sea or were drowned were said to be sent to Davy Jones’ locker. Likewise if a person said “see you to Davy Jones’ locker” they were threatening to commit murder and if a person said that they were in the grip of Davy Jones they were close to death or extremely frightened.

It wasn’t just sailors that went down into Davy Jones’ locker; ships that were believed to be inferior or sank earned a place in his locker. Another twist to the Davy Jones folklore is that if a sailor was in general a good chap he would go to a place called Fiddler’s Green. Fiddler’s Green was said to be an underwater paradise similar to the paradise the merfolk lived in. Here we can see the ties of the Davy Jones folktale to the Northern European countries. For in common fairy folklore of Northern Europe a green refers to Fairyland where people would go after they died.

All of these different pieces come together to form the frightful, awe inspiring folktale of Davy Jones, the spirit that ruled the oceans and claimed sailors at the time of their death to go to his locker in the deepest reaches of the sea.

Bill Nighy as Davy Jones

African Legend Part I

Abassi

The creator god of the Efik (Nigeria), Abassi was instructed by his wife, Atai, to allow a human couple to settle on the Earth, but forbade them to procreate or work, for fear that they might excel Abassi in wisdom. For some time the humans observed this rule, but eventually they began to work and have children, for which Atai slew the man and his wife, and caused strife and discord between their children.

Abuk

In Dinka mythology (south Sudan), the first woman. She is the patron goddess of women and gardens. Her emblem is a little snake. She is the mother of Deng (Danka).

Achimi

The son of the Itherther and Thamuatz, the first living creatures on the earth. He was a wild and adventurous animal and left his parents. He came upon a village that was built by the first human beings, and they almost caught him. The wise bee told him that it was better for an animal to serve humans because they would provide them with steady meals and protect them from lions.

Achimi, however, was determined to remain independent and control his own fate. He returned to the land where his parents grazed with their new-born daughter. In a fit of rage Achimi expelled his father and mated with his mother and his sister.

Adroa

The God of the Lugbara, who dwell in the area between Zaire and Uganda. Adroa had two aspects: good and evil. He was looked on as the creator of heaven and Earth, and was said to appear to a person who was about to die. Adroa was represented as tall and white, with only half a body --- one eye, one ear, one arm, one leg. His children are the Adroanzi.

Moonflower (or how the Moonhorses came to Japan)

The moon shone softly into the dark, bare little house, filling it with silvery mist. The woman walked in silently and sat by her husband.

"My honorable cousin, the mayor, refuses our request," said the woman sadly, "we are too poor to adopt an orphan."

"Did you mention that unless we raise a child in the tradition of our ancestors, we may never have better luck?" asked the horse-farmer.

"Yes. He knows that if you cannot have a child, you must adopt one to raise as your own, or the spirits of your ancestors will be displeased -- they need children and grandchildren to remember their names. But he feels he cannot risk the child starving. He pointed out that we don’t have a single horse left, and the village can no longer help us."

They sat by the window together for a long time. They wanted a child so much, and now had no hope at all.

Image drawn exclusively for the Encyclopedia Mythica by Patricia J. Wynne

Suddenly the moon shone brighter, and a single moon beam entered through the window. It wandered around, finally settling on a table. A small dot hurried down the beam, growing all the time, until a tiny silvery-white horse, no bigger than a mouse, came through the window. On his back he carried a red-flowering cherry branch, with most of the wine-colored flowers closed. A deep, comforting voice filled the room. "Do not be sad. I, the moon, will trust you with one of my children. Look at the cherry branch." One flower slowly, magically, opened its petals. Among them sat a tiny baby, the size of a fingernail.

"This is Moonflower," continued the moon. "She will bring you happiness and good fortune. However, she cannot marry an Earthman, and must return to me when she is eighteen years old. Use the years wisely, and all will be well. Now pick her from the flower and put her on the mat."

Moonflower began to grow, and in a few minutes reached the size of an Earth baby. Her hair was black as the night, her eyes bright as the stars, and her skin the color of a golden peach. She wore a pink kimono, embroidered with wine-colored cherry blossoms, and held a huge, magnificent star ruby. The little horse rubbed his nose against the baby’s glossy hair, waved his tail cheerfully, and rode up the moonbeam. "Remember to use the years wisely!" rumbled the moon’s voice, as the moonbeam slowly faded.

The next day the horse-farmer sold the ruby for a fortune. Some of the money was used for the improvement of the farm; some was safely saved for the future.

Years passed. The horse-farmer and his wife did very well indeed. They greatly improved their horse-breeding stables, and warriors came from all over the country to purchase the best horses from them. But riches meant little to the horse-farmer and his wife, except for the pleasure of giving Moonflower everything she could wish for. So they did little else, good or bad, with their money.

Moonflower grew to be so clever, beautiful, and kind, that everyone in the village loved her, especially the mayor; he considered himself her uncle, and treated the family with much respect. Perhaps he thought it was really he who brought them this lovely moon child by refusing their request! None of them could forget, however, that Moonflower was destined to leave them. She worried about it, too, because she loved her parents with all her heart, and was very happy on Earth, playing with the village children and helping to raise the beautiful horses. One day, when she was ten years old, she heard her mother say to her father: "when Moonflower leaves us, not only will my heart break, but the spirits of our ancestors will still be displeased, because there will be no grandchildren here on Earth to remember their names! They will not be satisfied with grandchildren on the moon!"

Suddenly Moonflower had an idea. She went to her parents and said: "I think it’s time I had brothers and sisters."

"The moon will not send us more children, my dear," said the mother, surprised. "He did so much already by sending you."

"I do not mean moon children," said Moonflower. "You are rich now. Surely the mayor, my honorable uncle, will not refuse to let you adopt some of the orphans in our village? They need a good home so much, and you will have children and grandchildren to carry on the tradition on Earth, even if my children must be born on the moon. The spirits will be pleased, and most important, the children will be a comfort to you when I am gone!"

They stared at her, stunned by her wisdom. The idea never occurred to them. "Perhaps the moon meant exactly that when he said we should use the years wisely," whispered the horse-farmer. "Yes," said his wife. "All this joy, all this money, and we did nothing in return... I will visit my cousin, the mayor, tomorrow morning."

The mayor was happy to oblige. As the years went by, he allowed them to adopt three boys and two girls, whom they raised with the same love and care they gave Moonflower.

When Moonflowers turned eighteen, her parents, though sick at heart, invited the entire village to a big birthday celebration. Golden lanterns glowed in the large courtyard, colorful paper decorations hung in the trees, musicians played lovely music, and the tables were covered with enough food and rice wine to please everyone.

At midnight, the moon suddenly shone brighter, and a single moonbeam entered the courtyard. It wandered around, finally settling on a red-flowering cherry tree. Soft, hazy figures floated in it, first at a great distance and then closer and closer. The villagers stared, frozen with awe, as the figures materialized and one by one the moon people slid down the silvery beam, each riding a magnificent, silvery-white moon horse. They were cheerful and smiling, as beautiful and as well-dressed as Moonflower. The women wore embroidered silk kimonos, the men dressed in the finest warrior’s outfits. They mingled with the village people, danced, drank rice wine, and acted just like old friends. The villagers very quickly lost their fear of the visitors.

One young man stood at a little distance, holding the reins of a horse. Moonflower thought he was the handsomest person she had ever seen, and could not help smiling at him. He must have felt a little bolder by the invitation, because he bowed to her and her parents, and said: "this is your horse, Moonflower, the one that brought you here. He lives in my stables, waiting for your return, and I rode him tonight. Will you do me the honor of riding him back to the moon with me?"

Moonflower smiled again. Somehow the return to the moon seemed just a little less tragic. Her parents smiled. They were still sad, but they felt the moon could not have chosen a better husband for their daughter than this well brought-up young man. Moonflower put her hand on the snowy head of her horse, and he nuzzled her gently. Then the deep, comforting voice of the moon rumbled through the courtyard: "My friends, you have used the years wisely, sharing love and good fortune with children who needed it. As your reward, you will not part from your daughter Moonflower forever. Every year, on her birthday, she will come for a long visit, and her husband and children will accompany her. It will be just as if she married into a good family in a far-off village!"

And so the birthday party turned into a wedding party, the most wonderful the villagers had ever seen, because the moon people started handing everyone many presents and surprises to further celebrate the occasion. Strange wines, foodstuffs no one had ever seen before, sweets for the children in the shape of stars, silk clothes and jewelry glowing with moonlight. The party lasted almost all night. Just before dawn, the moon people mounted their horses. The horse-farmer and his wife could let Moonflower go without the heartache of eternal separation, and with the expectation of many happy reunions. They stood and watched her riding up the moonbeam, waving until they could no longer see her. And as they turned their eyes back to Earth, they were surprised by one more gift from the kindly moon, a gift that reverberated through the centuries and still gives joy today. Under the cherry tree stood two moon horses, male and female, glowing silvery-white in the light of the rising sun.